1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sewer backup indicator. In particular, the present invention relates to a float indicator mounted on an elongated rod, that is positioned within a finger hole of a manhole cover to indicate a rising water level in the sewer and, thus, that the sewer is backing up.
2. Discussion of Background
Sewage systems collect waste water and treat it before returning it to the environment. These systems consist of a network of underground conduits or sewers that carry the sewage through the treatment process to the point of disposal. While the sewers are typically buried, there are a plurality of manholes that provide access into the sewer system.
The wastes within the sewer are rarely pumped, but flow instead because the sewers are constructed at an angle so that the water and wastes will flow downward due to gravity. The flow within the sewers can be restricted at times due to obstructions. These obstructions can be caused by wastes clogging within the sewer or by external factors, including roots breaking through the sewer wall and internal collapses of the sewer wall.
Any obstruction in the sewer will likely cause the water and waste stream to begin to back-up. As it backs up up-stream from the obstruction, the water will begin to rise in the sewers and the manholes. Typically, there is no way to tell if the sewer is backing up until the water and wastes begin to flow out of the manhole closest to the obstruction, while the manhole just down stream from the obstruction shows no change. When waste escapes from the manhole and sewer system, there are many complications that must be dealt with. First, the waste is capable of transmitting a wide variety of diseases and must ultimately be cleaned up. Second, due to environmental regulations on the local, state, and federal level, the leakage of the sewage must be reported and a large amount of paper work documenting the leakage must be filed.
Therefore, there is a need for a system that will alert the appropriate personnel when an obstruction or blockage has occurred before there is leakage, so that the obstruction can be removed and the proper flow of the sewer restored. In addition, there is a need for a system that not only indicates the presence of an obstruction that causes the sewer to back up, but also a system that helps locate the obstruction.